The Stumpery

The Landscape team have created a new feature on campus called The Stumpery which is situated in the shrub border at the back (south side) of 4 West. It was the idea of David Hunt, Landscape Manager, to create this unusual specimen. This mysterious construction owes its roots, so to speak, to the Victorian's obsession with ferns. There are very few examples still surviving today, so this is an exciting new feature to add the the campus landscape.

A stumpery is essentially a collection of old roots which are stacked up and held in place with wire. The end result quickly blends with the surroundings and provides an ideal habitat for plants, which can nestle in the nooks and crannies formed by the roots. Tree stumps are usually very dense and take a long time to rot, but as they start to decompose, they become a haven for wildlife, playing host to everything from stag beetles to toads and small mammals. All play a part in creating a balanced ecosystem in this area of campus.

The fern species used are Autumn Fern (Dryoopteris erythrosara) which is winter hardy. Harts Tongue Fern (Aspelenium scolopendrium) which is winter hardy and Ladder Fern (Blechnum spicant) which is winter hardy.

Ferns belong to the oldest plant varieties on earth; more than 10,000 varieties of fern are found all over the world. Ferns reproduce by spores. They filter polluted air and produce pure oxygen.

If you would like more information, please contact David Hunt, the Landscape Manager.